Connector and receptacle

Abstract

A connector comprises an adapter and a first receptacle adapted to be assembled onto a first end of the adapter. The adapter includes an outer contact, an inner contact, and an insulator between the outer contact and the inner contact. The first receptacle includes a first outer terminal in electrical contact with a first end of the outer contact, a first inner terminal in electrical contact with a first end of the inner contact, and a first insulative body between the first outer terminal and the first inner terminal. The first outer terminal includes a plurality of first elastic contact structures. Each of the first elastic contact structures has an elastic arm and a first contact point formed on the elastic arm. The first contact point is adapted to elastically electrically contact an inner wall of the first end of the outer contact.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A connector, comprising:
 an adapter including an outer contact, an inner contact, and an insulator between the outer contact and the inner contact, the outer contact and the inner contact each have a cylindrical shape; and 
 a first receptacle adapted to be assembled onto a first end of the adapter, the first receptacle includes a first outer terminal in electrical contact with a first end of the outer contact, a first inner terminal in electrical contact with a first end of the inner contact, and a first insulative body between the first outer terminal and the first inner terminal, the first outer terminal includes a plurality of first elastic contact structures, each of the first elastic contact structures has an elastic arm and a first contact point formed on the elastic arm, the first contact point is adapted to elastically electrically contact an inner wall of the first end of the outer contact. 
 
     
     
       2. The connector of  claim 1 , wherein the elastic arm includes a pair of first elastic arms which intersect at the first contact point, each of the first elastic contact structures is formed in a triangular shape. 
     
     
       3. The connector of  claim 1 , wherein the first inner terminal has a cylindrical first plug end, the first end of the inner contact is adapted to be plugged into the first plug end of the first inner terminal to be in electrical contact with the first plug end of the first inner terminal. 
     
     
       4. The connector of  claim 3 , wherein the first plug end of the first inner terminal has a first axial slot, the first plug end of the first inner terminal is an elastic claw having a multi-valve structure to elastically hold the first end of the inner contact plugged therein. 
     
     
       5. The connector of  claim 1 , wherein a ring-shaped projection is formed on the inner wall of the first end of the outer contact of the adapter in a circumferential direction of the inner wall, the first contact points of the first outer terminal are blocked by the ring-shaped projection so as to prevent the first outer terminal inserted into the first end of the outer contact from disengaging from the outer contact. 
     
     
       6. The connector of  claim 1 , wherein the connector has a second receptacle adapted to be assembled onto a second end of the adapter, the second receptacle has a same structure as that of the first receptacle. 
     
     
       7. The connector of  claim 6 , wherein an inner wall of the second end of the outer contact of the adapter is a smooth inner wall without any projection, the second outer terminal inserted into the second end of the outer contact is adapted to be smoothly pulled out from the second end of the outer contact. 
     
     
       8. The connector of  claim 6 , wherein the second end of the outer contact has a flared guide portion that expands gradually in an outward direction to guide the second receptacle to be properly inserted into the second end of the outer contact. 
     
     
       9. The connector of  claim 1 , wherein the insulator of the adapter is mounted in a passageway of the cylindrical outer contact in an interference fit manner, the cylindrical inner contact is mounted in a center passageway of the insulator in an interference fit manner. 
     
     
       10. The connector of  claim 9 , wherein a diameter of the cylindrical inner contact is slightly smaller than a diameter of the center passageway of the insulator and a plurality of protuberances are formed on an outer wall of the cylindrical inner contact, the plurality of protuberances being in an interference fit with an inner wall of the central passageway of the insulator. 
     
     
       11. A receptacle adapted to be coupled to an end of an adapter, the receptacle comprising:
 an outer terminal including plurality of elastic contact structures each having an elastic arm extending from a first end thereof, and at least one pin extending from a second end thereof opposite the first end; 
 an inner terminal disposed in the outer terminal; and 
 an insulative body disposed between the outer terminal and the inner terminal, the insulative body supporting both the outer terminal and the inner terminal and electrically isolating the outer terminal from the inner terminal, the insulative body including a cylindrical base and a cylindrical extension extending from a center of the cylindrical base in a first axial direction, the at least one pin extending from the cylindrical base in a second axial direction opposite the first axial direction, and the plurality of elastic arms arranged about a circumference of the cylindrical extension and extending in the first axial direction, each of the elastic arms defining a contact point formed on a side of the elastic arm opposite the cylindrical extension, the contact point is adapted to elastically electrically contact with an inner facing wall of an outer contact of the adapter. 
 
     
     
       12. The receptacle of  claim 11 , wherein the inner terminal has a cylindrical plug end, an end of an inner contact of the adapter is adapted to be plugged into the cylindrical plug end of the inner terminal to be in electrical contact with the cylindrical plug end of the inner terminal. 
     
     
       13. The receptacle of  claim 12 , wherein an axial slot is formed on the plug end of the inner terminal, the plug end of the inner terminal is an elastic claw having a multi-valve structure to elastically hold the end of the inner contact plugged therein. 
     
     
       14. The connector of  claim 1 , wherein the first contact point is defined on a side of the elastic arm facing radially outward with respect to a center of the first outer terminal and contacts a radially inward facing side of the inner wall of the first end of the outer contact. 
     
     
       15. A connector, comprising:
 an adapter including an outer contact, an inner contact, and an insulator between the outer contact and the inner contact, the outer contact and the inner contact each have a cylindrical shape; and 
 a first receptacle adapted to be assembled onto a first end of the adapter, the first receptacle includes a first outer terminal in electrical contact with a first end of the outer contact, a first inner terminal in electrical contact with a first end of the inner contact, and a first insulative body between the first outer terminal and the first inner terminal, the first outer terminal includes a plurality of first elastic contact structures, each of the first elastic contact structures has an elastic arm and a first contact point formed on the elastic arm, the first contact point elastically electrically contacting an inner wall of the first end of the outer contact, 
 wherein the first outer terminal includes a first cylindrical base portion and a plurality of first soldering pins, the plurality of first elastic contact structures are connected to a first side of the first cylindrical base portion and distributed at intervals in a circumferential direction of the first cylindrical base portion, the plurality of first soldering pins are connected to a second side of the first cylindrical base portion and distributed at intervals in the circumferential direction of the first cylindrical base portion. 
 
     
     
       16. The connector of  claim 15 , wherein the first insulative body has a first base on which a first mounting groove is formed, the first outer terminal is adapted to be mounted and fixed in the first mounting groove. 
     
     
       17. The connector of  claim 16 , wherein each of the first soldering pins has a first horizontal extension section extending in a radial direction of the connector and a first vertical extension section connected to the first horizontal extension section and extending in an axial direction of the connector. 
     
     
       18. The connector of  claim 17 , wherein the first mounting groove has a first annular receiving portion adapted to receive the first cylindrical base portion and a first recess adapted to receive the first horizontal extension section, a first elastic protrusion is formed on an inner wall of the first recess and adapted to lock the first horizontal extension section in the first recess. 
     
     
       19. The connector of  claim 16 , wherein the first insulative body has a first cylindrical extension at a center of the first base, a first central passageway is formed in the first cylindrical extension and the first inner terminal is held in the first central passageway. 
     
     
       20. The receptacle of  claim 11 , further comprising a pair of elastic arms that intersect at the contact point, each of the elastic contact structures is formed in a triangular shape.